Labeling machine



Aug. 12 1924. 1,504,856

. F. BECKER LABELING MACHINE Filed May 17 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

ATTORNEY Aug. 12, 1924.

F. BECKER LABELING MACHINE Filed May 17 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 u \IIIHIHHWHHH VENTOR BY w k A TTORNEY Patented AnglZ, 1924,

UNITED STATES isaassa PATENT oFFIcE.

FRITZ BECKER. OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR TO NATIONALLABELING MACHINE? COMPANY.

LABELING Manama.

Application filed. May 17, 1922. Serial No. 561,589.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRITZ BECKER, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of NewYork, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in. LabelingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to labeling machines, and is particularlyintended. for usein affixing labels to articles so formed as to readilystand on end, for example, tin cans of the type commonly used in thedistribution of food materials.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine by which labels maybe smoothly and permanently affixed to the ends of articles, which maybe readily adapted for operation on articles of widely varying heightsor lengths, and which may also be used to aiiiX labels to articles ofvery small. transversedimensions, as well as to those of largertransverse dimensions.

To this end an important feature of thev invention resides in thecombination with means for locating a label to an article tobe labeledof label ailixing members movable to and fro into and out ofabuttingrelation with the article to aflix the label thereto. In

the present embodiment of the invention, the label ailixing devices arefulcrumed on the machine frame on opposite sides of the support for thearticle, and in accordance with a further feature of the invention suchdevices include blocks to the under surfaces of which are secured labelengaging members, the blocks being offset away from each other at theirlower portions and the label en- 'aging members being secured to theblocks by clamping means of less thickness than the degree of offset ofthe lower portions of the blocks, so as to'enable the blocks and,consequently, the label: engaging members to be brought close togetherin. the operation of the machine, thus adapting. the machine for use inaliixing labels to articles of. very small transverse dimensions.

Other objects and: features of. the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds and will be pointed. out. in the appended claims. V

In the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts inthe various views:

Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation of a labeling machine constructed 1naccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is also a side elevation, parts being broken away better toreveal the operating connections for the label affixing devices Fig. 3is a front view' looking from the rightin Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4c is a detail view partly in section of one of the label affixingdevices; and r 5 is a. view in plan of the article suppor V Theillustrated machine comprises a frame 2 on the front side of which ismounted a bracket 4:, and. secured to the upper end of the bracket 4 isa support 6 for the article to be labeled. As shown, the machine isdesigned particularly for afiixing labels to the ends of cylindricalarticles, suchas the one indicated at A in Figs. 1 and 3. Ac-

position the article support '6 is preferably formed on its upper facewith an upstanding rib 8 which, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5, isgenerally crescent-shaped and is arranged to engage the periphery of thearticle adjacent to its loweredge. The in tiele A is, preferably, alsopositioned on the support 6 and maintained in upright position by. meansof an upright 10 formed to present a curved forward surface arranged forengagement with the periphery of the article adajacent-to its uppersurface.

Mounted stationarily at the top of the frame 2 is a label container 12,and a carrier 14 comprising spaced arms transfers the labels singly andsuccessively from the bottom of the container 12 to a point adjacent tothe top of the article A. The labels are then engaged by a press-er foot16 provided in its under surface with an insert 18 of soft and yieldingmaterial, such as rubber. or the like, the presser foot 16 and insert 18being arranged between the spaced arms of the transferrer.v 14 in thecentral, vertical plane of the article A when in position on the articlesupport 6, and operating to engage the central portion of the label andpress it against the top ofthe article substantially in the centralplane of the article. During each cycle of operations of the machine, asuitable adhesive is applied to the label engaging surfaces 20 at theends of the transferrer arms 14, the adhesive material being containedin a pot 22 stationarily'supported on the frame 2. The transferrer 14,presser foot 16 and the means for applying adhesive to the surfaces 20of the transferrer arms 14 from the pot 22,,may be, and preferably are,constructed and arranged as described in my copending appli-- L cationfor Letters Patent of the United chineis deemed unnecessary. I

Thelabels are aflixed permanentlyuin place on the article A by meansincluding arms 32 fixed to shafts 34 journalled forangular movement inbearings 36 secured to the frame 2 at the front side of the machine}'The arms .32 (Fig. 3) are deflected laterally and inwardly at pointsindicated by 38 substantially at right angles, and adjustably connectedto the free ends of the arms by bolt and slot connections 40-42 aremetal strips 44, the free ends of which are bowed downwardly; Thebowedstrips 44 support blocks 46 formed at their upper ends. withbifurcations 48 which receive be- 7 tween them the downwardly bowed endsof the strips 44. Preferably, and as shown,

. the blocks46 are offset at their lower portions away from the centralvertical plane of the article, as indicated at 50, for a purpose whichwill more clearly appear here inafter. Disposed below the bottomsurfaces of the blocks 46 and in engagement therewith are label engagingmembers 52 of suitable material, such, for example, as

rubber or rubber composition, the members .52 being of somewhat greaterdimensions than the olfsetlower portions of the blocks 46 and beingsecured to the blocks 46 by clamps 54 surrounding the blocks and theupper portions of the members 52. The clamps 54 may be secured to theblocks 46 i'by set screws 55, and each of the clamps actsto compress themembers 52 within dimensions corresponding to those of the lowerportions of the blocks, so as to cause the members 52 to be firmly fixedto the blocks by frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of theclamps 54. The thickness of the clamps 54,'preferably, does not exceedthe extent of offset of the blocks 46 at 50, so that no portion of theclamps extends beyond the in'nerand adjacent'faces 56 of the blocks whenthey are in label affixing position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3.

Fixed to the shafts 34 at their rear ends are short arms 57 pivoted tothe upper ends of operating rods 58, the lower ends of which passloosely through eyes formed in yokes 60. At their lower ends the rods 58are provided with nuts 62 between which and the yokes are interposedsprings 64 acting to maintain the yokes 60 normally against collars 66fast on the rods 58. The yokes 60 in' turn are joined at their lowerends to arms 68 fast on a shaft 70 extending transversely on the machineframe 2 and being provided at the left-hand side of the machine (Fig. 3)with a third arm 74.

The arm 74 is formed in its upper end with a slot 76 for adjustableconnection to a rod 78 joined at 80 to the upper end of a lever 82'fulcrumed at 84 on the machine frame 2 and being provided with a roller86 arranged for riding engagement upon the periphery of a cam 88 on themain cam'shaft 24. The roller 86 is maintained against the cam 88 by aspring 90 connected at one end to the lever 82 and at its other end to asuitable fixed point 92 (Fig. 1) on the machine frame. From theforegoing, it will be understood that the adjustable connection providedby the rod 78 and arm 74 enables the downward. movement of the labelaffixing blocks 46 to be adjusted so as to adapt the machine foroperation on urticles of varying widths, and that the yieldingconnection between the yokes 60 and the operating rods 58 furtherenables the machine to. adapt itself readily to operation Gil undervarying conditions by permitting the blocks 46 to yield upwardly whennecessary with relation to their operating means.

The general principles of the operation of the present machine aresimilar to those of the machine described in my above-mentionedapplication, and may be briefly summarized as follows:

The transferrer arms 14 are moved upwardly to cause their label engagingsurfaces 20 to be pressed againstthe under surface of the bottom labelin the container 12.

'The surfaces 20 have previously had a suitable adhesive appliedthereto, thus causing the label engaged by them to adhere to them and tobe moved downwardly with them to a point adjacent to the upper surfaceof the article A on the support 6. The presser foot 16 is moveddownwardly concurrently with the transferrer arms 14, and the feltinsert 18 of the presser foot engages the label at its central partbetween the arms 14 and presses such portion ofthe label against thearticle while the label is disengaged frornthe transferrer arms 14 bysubsequent upward movement of the arms. The label afiixing blocks 46 arethen operated downwardly to cause the label engaging members 52 to pressthe ends of the label tightly into engagement with the article to belabeled, as indicated in Fig. 3. By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seenthat the blocks 4:6 and label engaging members 52 in their labelaffixing positions are disposed very close tothe presser foot 16, sucharrangement of the parts being permitted by the offsetting of the lowerends of the blocks 46, and the fact that the thickness of the clamps 54Lis such as not to exceed the degree of offsetting of the blocks 4-6 at50, so that the clamps 54 do not extend beyond the adjacent surfaces 56of the upper portion of the blocks 46.

By the use of the present invention labels may be affixed verysmoothly-and securely to the ends of articles, for example,tin cans suchas are commonly used in the distribution of food materials. Moreover,inasmuch as the presser foot 16 and felt insert 18 are relatively thin,as seen in Fig. 3, and the label affixing members 52 are caused toengage the labels very close to the presser foot, the machine is adaptedto affix labels to articles ranging upwardly in size from 1 a very smalldiameter. It will be manifest from the foregoing, that the invention isapplicable to Operation on articles of widely varying sizes and under awide range of conditions.

Although the invention has been described in its application to affixinglabels to the ends of cylindrical articles, it is recognized that it isapplicable also to affixing labels to the endsof articles generally,which can be made to stand on end, and that certain features of theinvention may be utilized in affixing labels to portions of articlesother than their ends. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of theinvention shall not be limited except as required by the claims.

Having fully described the invention,what is claimed is:

1. In a labeling machine, an article support, rock shafts arranged ateach side of said support, an angular arm fixed to each of the rockshafts, a locally yieldable label clamping member secured to one end ofeach of said arms, and cam actuated mechanism operatively connected tothe rock shafts and including an adjustable connection for regulatingthe extent of rocking movement of said shafts.

2. In a labeling machine, an article support, a rock shaft arranged atone side of said support, an angular arm fixed to one end of said shaft,a locally yieldable label clamping member secured" on the" free end ofsaid arm, and actuating mechanism operatively connected to the other endof said rock shaft and including an adjustable con to the upper end ofthe article comprising i a carrier for transferring labels successivelyfrom the label container to a point adjacent to the article support,means for maintaining the label in engagement with the upper end of thearticle in the central vertical plane of the article; label affixingmembers fulcrumed on said frame on opposite sides of the support, andadjustable means for yieldably pressing the label affixing membersagainst a label on opposite sides of the presser foot to affix the labelto the article.

fl. In a labeling machine, an article support, and means for applying alabel to an article on the support comprising a presser foot formaintaining the label against the article, and label affixing memberscomprising pivoted arms, blocks mounted on the ends of said arms andofiset at their lower portions in directions away from the central,vertical plane of an article on the support, a label engaging member ofyieldable material carried by each of the blocks in engagement with itsbottom surface, said label engaging members being of somewhat greaterdimensions than said blocks, and clamping means for securing saidmembers frictionally to the offset lower portions of the blocks.

5. In a labeling machine, megns for applying a label to an article,comprising pivoted arms, blocks secured at their upper ends to said armsand having their lower ends offset away from each other, ayieldablelabel engaging memberl carried by each of said blocks in engagement withits bottom surface and of somewhat greater dimensions than the block,and clamps surrounding the offset lower ends of the blocks for securinthe label engaging members thereto, sai clamps being of such thicknesswith relation to the extent of the offset of the lower portions of theblocks from the upper portions as not to project beyond the adacentfaces of the upper portions of the blocks when the blocks are in labelaffixing position, thereby enabling the label engaging members to engagea label at points closely adjacent to each other.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereunder.

FRITZ BECKER.

